The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Zoë Poindexter!About Zoë Poindexter: Documentary filmmaker, producer, and director based in Washington, DC. She attended journalism graduate school at Georgetown University, where she continues to work as a documentary teacher's assistant, and specializes in nonfiction storytelling.In our conversation, Poindexter walks through her journey to A Revolution Called Love, a feature documentary inspired by Black Love Day—a holiday created in DC in the nineties by Mama Ayo Handy-Kendi. After living in DC for almost ten years without ever hearing about it, she called the founder and asked to attend. She showed up in purple—the colors of Black Love Day, which happens to be her favorite color—stayed for the entire seven-hour ceremony, and came back saying, "Yes, this needs to be made into a film." The documentary is structured around the holiday's five tenets: love for the creator, love for yourself, love for family, love for community, and love for the Black diaspora. We explore how she's weaving community voices throughout—filming interviews with Black Washingtonians defining what those tenets mean to them, with select responses used as voiceover narration in the feature.She shares her commitment to telling positive stories that aren't clichés—"We have way too many clichéd stories about Black people, Black communities. I often ask myself, why do we need this again? Who is this actually being made for?" She hopes the film sparks conversation around what we think love is—a deeper dialogue about intention, community, and making work that's truly for us. This conversation came about through a shared passion for storytelling—and the belief that the stories we tell should actually be made for us.Be sure to follow the project (@blacklovedocfilm on Instagram, Black Love Documentary Film on Facebook) and visit BlackLoveDocumentary.com to learn more and support the crowdfund. Both Defining Love: Voices of Black DC (a short oral history film funded in part by Humanities DC) and A Revolution Called Love are currently in production.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Miles Johnson!About Miles Johnson: Miles Johnson is a self-described "unclassically untrained oil painter" and mechanical engineer based in the DMV area. In over 4 years—starting with over a year on iPad before transitioning to oils 3 years ago—he has created numerous pieces. His late grandmother was a painter herself who created approximately 300 pieces and inspired his creative path. Miles first painted her portrait last summer for his solo show.Growing up, Miles would run cross-country to the Smithsonian, where Thomas Cole's four-part series "Voyage of Life" gave him a revelation: "I never thought that paintings were like almost manga panels." He also draws inspiration from Little Black Goat, incorporating anime-style faces into his work. Miles applies his engineering background with painting by creating bullet-point lists and maintaining over 200 pages of documentation in Google Docs. His research process studies figures like Fannie Lou Hamer—someone who was "born into sharecropping and ended up dying with a foundation that gave a million acres of land across Mississippi."Later we discussed Miles working on Common People Ain't Common, a 2025 undertaking. He made 100 pieces dedicated to celebrating the small moments in life and of the people he has observed. His goal was to make this art affordable for the everyday people who supported him on his art journey. His aim is that these pieces will serve as a great investment for first-time collectors. His Instagram handle @MJonthewall pays homage to Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" album. Connect with Miles on Instagram and TikTok at @MJonthewall or visit MJonthewall.com.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Jacob Ming-Trent!About Jacob Ming-Trent: Acclaimed performer, playwright, and one of American Theater's people to watch. A celebrated artist bringing his solo play, How Shakespeare Saved My Life, to Washington, DC's Folger Theater, and later to The Public Theater in New York with Red Bull producing.In our conversation, Ming-Trent walks through his journey from a rough childhood in an abusive home to moving to New York at seventeen—having been homeless the previous year and recently dropped out of high school. He recalls the pivotal moment Shakespeare entered his life: at six years old, his father, an English major, mentioned the Bard alongside Amiri Baraka. Years later, he accidentally walked into the wrong classroom and was asked to read a Shakespeare speech. "It felt like home to me," he says. "The words were big enough to give context to my emotions that were inside."He digs into the origins of How Shakespeare Saved My Life, a play that poured out of him unexpectedly while working on a different project. The solo show follows a kid with a tough childhood who discovers Shakespeare and tries to use it to navigate his world—sometimes it works, sometimes it fails. "It's a raucous ride, it's outrageous, it's funny, it's sad, and in the end we experience some black joy," Ming-Trent shares. We discuss his decision to leave theater at 35 after feeling treated like "an affirmative action hire," his pivot to television in LA, and how a call from director Saheem Ali brought him back to the stage to lead Shakespeare in the Park in Merry Wives—which ultimately led to writing this play. He reflects on the influence of figures like Biggie, Tupac, James Baldwin, and Basquiat—all artists trying to save their lives through their work. He also talks about audience interaction, the differences between performing in Berkeley and DC, and why vulnerability and fear are necessary parts of telling personal stories.Be sure to follow Jacob Ming-Trent and catch How Shakespeare Saved My Life, running until July 5th at Folger Theater (201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC). Tickets start at $20. The play is also published by Bloomsbury Publishing. After DC, the show heads to The Public Theater in New York. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, I sit down with Tyreek Morrison!About Tyreek Morrison: Tyreek Morrison is an Atlanta-based collage artist who describes himself as "dad first, collage artist second." Born in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta, Morrison uses collage, found materials, paper, paint, and drawing to explore Black American life through memory, identity, and everyday experiences. His daughter just turned one, and this episode was recorded right before his first Father's Day. His father is an oil and acrylic painter, and Morrison grew up watching him work through the night blasting Wu-Tang Clan—those early memories shaped his understanding of what it means to be a working artist.We talk about how becoming a parent has completely transformed his relationship with time and work. On days with his daughter, he's fully present—no phone, no studio. But when she's not with him, his work schedule becomes insanely focused. He doesn't leave the studio. Even when he's not actively creating, he's studying. Morrison discusses the three-generation legacy of creativity in his family and how his work ethic was reinforced when he toured with Lil Wayne after high school, witnessing firsthand how relentless dedication translates to success.Morrison explains his philosophy that collage is parallel to Black American traditions of making something from scraps—whether soul food in the kitchen or sampling in hip-hop. He talks about his influences, including Barkley Hendricks and the artist behind Gorillaz, and how skateboarding played the biggest role in his creative thinking. We also talk about the expectations placed on Black artists to constantly discuss identity and trauma, the competitive-yet-supportive creative energy between him and his father, why he views Instagram as "a big buffet of artists you could bite off of," and his upcoming projects including Atlanta Fine Art Fair with Mason Fine Art, Scope Miami, a solo exhibition in New York City in spring 2027, and his Future Fair baseball piece incorporating real dirt.Follow Tyreek Morrison on Instagram at money team to see his work.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, returning guest Kris Fulton is back!About Kris Fulton: Kris Fulton is a self-described coffee nerd, Baltimore-based coffee roaster, and co-owner of Sophomore Coffee, a neighborhood coffee shop in Charles Village. He opened Sophomore Coffee in April 2019, just months before the pandemic, and has spent seven years building it into a trusted community fixture. His journey in coffee began at a local café and evolved through his pivotal role at the Four Seasons Baltimore in 2011, where he honed his skills in luxury hospitality and elevated service that would shape Baltimore's food and beverage scene.We talk about his evolution from "punk kid working coffee on the side" to wearing multiple hats—plumber, janitor, counselor, delivery driver—as a small business owner who opened Sophomore Coffee without knowing all the ins and outs of running a business. He discusses the meaning behind the name "Sophomore"—embracing the second attempt, learning, and growth—and his philosophy of focusing on two pillars: coffee quality and service quality. He shares insights on surviving the pandemic, which forced him to start roasting coffee himself when wholesale partnerships became uncertain, and how that challenge became an unexpected opportunity.Fulton reveals his approach to being a reliable neighborhood fixture—open every single day, even in bad weather—and how that consistency earns trust and bandwidth in the community. He discusses his collaboration with other food and beverage professionals, his work with Tarleton, and his decision to keep Sophomore Coffee hyper-local rather than expanding. He introduces his advice for aspiring coffee shop owners: "Just be a sponge"—work in a coffee shop first, absorb as much information as possible, and understand that owning a café means you'll be working in it, not just managing from afar.We also talk about the importance of intention in coffee-making, why third spaces like cafés are indicators of a community's health, his newsletter as a way to connect directly with customers, and why physical presence and in-person experience still matter more than what can be displayed on social media in an increasingly digital world.Photo credit The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★